Get Out of this Town
by merder4everandever
Summary: AU: Derek and Meredith are both 17 and helplessly in love. But when their parents do not approve of their relationship they decide to run away, not knowing that this simple act would change them both forever.
1. Prologue

**A/N: Since I only have a few chapters left in PROM I figured I would do another teen merder story. I really hope you like it! Please review and tell me whether I should continue or not. BTW this is just the prologue**

**Summary: Derek is the son of the rich and famous, Meredith is the daughter of a struggling family who was awarded a scholarship to the great Catherine Academy. Soon after their first few years in high school, they fall in love. But their parents do not approve so they decide to do what every in-love couple would do…runaway.**

**Song: Get out of this town by Carrie Underwood (this song actually inspired the fic, hehe)**

* * *

High School Orientation, never would he have guessed this to be the best day of his life. He was a 15 year old boy, the son of a rich Senator. His father insisted he go to Saint Catherine's Academy, a school for the rich and the genius. Of course, like most teenagers, he hated the idea of going to a prep school. In his mind, the school catered only to rich, snobby geeks from the mainline. For the most part, this was true. But, there was one girl, one amazing girl, who changed his life forever.

* * *

"Son, get your things together, you have orientation in 10 minutes," Brian Shepherd instructed his son as he threw his newly pressed tie on. 

"In a minute," Derek replied, playing the last bit of notes on Guitar Hero.

"Derek Anthony Shepherd don't make me ask you again," his father warned. "Your mother and I will be in the car."

_The limo_ Derek thought to himself, disgusted that his family had to travel in an all-out limousine. The school was only five minutes away from his house; they didn't always have to show up fabulous and perfect. As he shut off the TV, he quickly grabbed his leather coat, courtesy of Senator Rubenstein, his father's closest and most trusted friend. In fact, Senator Rubenstein's step-daughter, Cristina, was also attending the academy. They didn't get along much, but Derek was relieved knowing that he would be seeing a familiar face.

"Hi hunny," his mother said as he climbed into the back seat of the limo. "How do I look?" Sarah Shepherd never left the house without make up and a fantastic outfit. She was the wife of a senator; she had to look the part.

"You look fine mom," Derek replied, pushing his father's mass of papers to the side.

"Aw thanks sweet heart, and so do you. New haircut?" she asked noticing her son's new trim.

"Laura cut it for me," he replied bluntly. Laura was the family's care keeper. She took care of everything; appointments, dinner, breakfast, and yes, even haircuts.

"You look very grown up Mr. Shepherd," the limousine drive, Lewis, said.

Derek smiled, rubbing his hand in his hair. "Lewis, I'm 15, I look _too_ grown up."

"No such thing!" Lewis declared pulling into the school.

"Here we are," Brian announced, flattening his tie against his chest.

The car bumped along the stone driveway that led up to the huge stone-brick mansion. Along the driveway stood paths of flowers and honey suckle trees. This was truly a school for only the best of the best.

"Wow," Derek breathed staring out his tinted window. "This is nice."

"You should see the inside!" his mother squealed, placing her right leg out of the car. "It's lovely!"

As soon as his parents exited the limo, a swarm of photographers collapsed onto them. Derek rolled his eyes, used to the attention. His father had been thinking about running for President, and ever since, the paparazzi ceased to go away.

"Hey dork. Love the hair cut," Cristina Yang declared sarcastically, pushing Derek. "Are you planning on going to military school?"

"Shut up," he shot back, "Nice dress."

"HEY! My stupid father forced me to wear it, not my fault." She brushed her feet against the pavement, not caring about the scuff marks forming on the tip of her shoes. "So...excited?"

"For prep school?" he asked not too enthusiastically.

"No idiot for clown school…of course prep school! I took seven courses over the summer, and am taking five AP classes this semester," she announced proudly.

Derek's mouth dropped in astonishment, though he shouldn't have been surprised. Cristina Yang was the over-achiever. It would be unnatural is she didn't take a course over the summer.

"Wow, smarty pants. I went to Mexico," he sighed, remembering the horrible plain ride.

"Woo, you went on a plane?! Wow, good job, now there's a good boy!" she laughed, taking great pleasure in making fun of him. It wasn't his fault he hated planes!

He was about to yell a nasty comment right back until a skinny blonde girl interrupted them.

"Excuse me, do you know where we are supposed to meet?" the girl asked, dressed in no more than jeans and a T-shirt.

Derek took a step back. She wasn't wearing a dress or a skirt or anything appropriate in that manner. She didn't look like the daughter of a politician or congressman…she looked _normal._

"Uhm, down in the main hall," he said. "Are you here supporting someone, you don't really look "Catherine Prep" material?" He made air quotes around Catherine Prep and expected her to respond with a yes. There was no way _that_ girl could afford to go to _this _school, no way on earth.

"What?" she asked, acting as though he had just asked her how she planned on hijacking the President of the United States. "No, I'm attending the school this year. Why don't I look like Prep material?"

"He was just kidding," Cristina spoke up, jumping in front of Derek. "I'm sure you are a very smart girl."

She blushed, tucking her hands into her jean pockets. "Well I am here on a scholarship," she said shyly. "…if that's what you were thinking?"

"Of course," Cristina nodded, shining a smile (something she _never_ did) "Well we look forward to seeing you."

She nodded. "Okay, bye guys."

"Bye," the two replied in unison. Once she was out of sight, Cristina turned towards Derek, a stern look on her already cold face. "Are you an IDIOT?! The school gives out scholarships to smart kids who can't afford to go here! Gosh, you just made a complete fool of yourself."

"Who cares," he shrugged. "It's not like we're going to talk to her this year anyway."

"True, but still, we have to act nice and sophisticated."

"Is that what your daddy told you?" he joked, sweeping his hand across her puffy dress sleeve. "…just like he told you to where this hideous dress? Or maybe it's not the dress; it could be just you…"

"Shut your trap asshole," she responded, a coldness overshadowing her eyes. "You just wait, I'll be valedictorian and you'll be sweeping the rose pedals thrown on the stage for me."

"Whatever you say Yang," he retorted, heading towards the main hall, happy that this stupid orientation will almost be over with.

Once they reached the crowded room, they found a seat next to their parents (right in the front, of course.)

"Welcome, welcome," Principal Brookes spoke up among the noises. "We are so pleased to have you all with us. Our school year is going to be fantastic, and we can't wait to get to know each and every one of you! Now, most of you probably think this is pointless and no big deal. But really, it is. High school is the most important time in your young lives. You will grow tremendously. This will change you forever…"

Sitting in that chair, Derek thought this was the stupidest remark ever made. High school can't change you forever. It was a simple milestone till college, and that was where the real action began. But, not so long after that, he began to realize that high school can indeed change your life. The people you meet, the classes you take, the decisions you make can turn your life upside down and either reward you or chasten you. He didn't know this, could not comprehend this. But nevertheless, Derek Shepherd embarked on a journey he never saw coming with someone he never thought possible…and it was all because of high school.


	2. A New Start

**A/N: Heyy, so I'm starting from freshman year and working my way up so the part where they run away is coming. Keep reading and you'll see. And as always, review!!!  
**

First day of high school, the most important day of every freshman's social status; it was all about first impressions. If you didn't impress your teachers, they would load you with homework. If you didn't impress your piers, you would be a loser the rest of your life. So on that day, September 3rd, Derek Shepherd did everything humanly possible to look up to par with his rank as a senator's son. It wasn't too hard considering he had just gotten his braces off and had no issue with acne (thank God!) Plus, he thought he was a good looking kid. No, he had never had a girlfriend, and no, girls didn't jump on him 24/7. But every now and then there would be a girl who would give him the "look" or send a warm smile across the cafeteria. He could have definitely had a girlfriend if he wouldn't to, but he was 15, he wanted to wait. Plus, when your father was Brian Theodore Andrew Shepherd the third, you had no time for girlfriends. Between the press meetings and the luncheons with different senators all vying for that presidential nomination, there was no time to do anything. Derek led no ordinary teenage life. Sure, most kids would kill to be in his position. It did have its perks. After all, he always got the best clothes, the best video games, got into the best schools, and all around, had the best life. Maybe he was ungrateful, maybe he was fed up with the five star hotels and twelve-course brunches. Or maybe, just maybe, he wanted to see what it was like to be normal.

"Ready son? Big day today," his father smiled proudly as he clutched his steamy cup of coffee.

"Yep," Derek replied, fixing his tie. "I'm excited."

"You should be. Just wait till you get into law school. That first day is hell."

He nodded, unsure of what to say. Derek didn't want to be a lawyer; he didn't want to be a politician. But under these circumstances he had to be. It was his "destiny." He would never tell a soul this, but deep down inside, he really wanted to be a doctor. It was just something about it that intrigued him so much, moved him so deeply. Something his father would never understand.

"Alright, I'm ready to go now," he announced, pulling on his new suede jacket.

"Aw, you look so adorable Derek!" his mother laughed, reaching for her camera. "Just one picture darling, please?"

"Have him take a picture with Cristina, I think he has a little crush on her," his father winked, taking a long sip of his coffee.

"What?!" Derek yelled, practically throwing up in his mouth. "_Cristina_?! Ew, no way."

"I think she is a very nice girl, very bright," his father observed, oblivious to her evil ways.

"She's a total freak. You know she's taking _7_ AP honors courses?" Derek asked, trying to sway his parents off of Cristina Yang.

"Why you don't say? Wow, Paul really raised her well."

"Can we just stop talking about Cristina and get to school," he mumbled, grabbing his back pack. "I just ate."

"Okay," his father clapped, placing his mug down. "I have a conference at 9, so Lewis is going to take you. Here's some money…" He pulled a crisp 20 dollar bill from his wallet and threw it at him. "If you have any problems, you know how to reach me. Good luck kiddo." He placed a reassuring hand on his son's broad shoulders and smiled. "I'm proud of you son."

"Thanks….dad," he replied, grinning. _Dad. _His father had never been known as just "dad." He was Senator Shepherd or SS for short. He was Brian, he was Brian the third, but he was never just dad.

"Oh man, I'm running late." He took a look at his watch and gasped. "Good luck Derek!" Then he was off, _again_.

* * *

"Hey," Cristina yelled, not so much as a friendly hey, but more of a 'hey, you better slow down before I take you out' hey.

"Oh, hi," he murmured. "Ready for the first day?"

"Yep, I already got a few books out from the library. And since I'm taking 12th grade calculus, I also got a brand new calculator. You should see it; it's gray and has the best digit coordinator I have ever seen! And get this, you can actually find the…"

"Hi," a tiny voice interrupted her.

They instantly turned around and noticed the tiny voice came from the girl they met a few weeks ago at orientation. "Oh, hi," Cristina mumbled, more than annoyed that she cut her off.

"Hi," he smiled, trying to be polite. She was new, and she actually worked to get here, they had to cut her a little slack, right?

"I don't think I introduced myself at the orientation, my name's Meredith Grey." She extended her hand and he firmly shook it…if only _Cristina _would participate.

"Cristina..." he coughed.

"Oh right, hi, uhm excuse us we have to get to class." She pulled his hand towards the building and literally dragged him into the huge French doors.

"Hey!" he yelled, pulling his swollen arm away. "That hurt, and that was mean. She was just trying to be friendly."

"You seriously want to be friends with _her_?! She's total class C!" she declared like the evil dictator she was.

"We should still be nice," he suggested, rubbing his arm. "And if this is broken I'm billing you for it."

"Like your daddy couldn't afford it!" she snapped back.

"Are you always this mean and hostile?" It was a total worthless question since he already knew the answer.

"Just to you," she smiled before taking off the opposite direction.

Suddenly, the bell began to roar through the school. Students and teachers hurried to their classes, but Derek stood still. He forgot his schedule at home and it was more than easy to get lost in this gigantic school. "Oh crap," he panicked, his head reeling around the many students. And just like that, they were gone. The halls were empty, and everyone, anyone, was gone…except him. Perfect.

"You know, if you are going to cut class, it's much easier to do in 5th period. The teachers are so burned out they don't even notice," a deep voice called out to him.

Turning around he saw a tall boy with shaggy brown hair, no older than him. "Hey, I'm Mark Sloan," the boy introduced himself. "And you must be Derek Shepherd, the famous son of Brian SS."

"How did you know?" Derek shot at the stranger.

He shrugged. "I know things."

_Obviously…_

"So cutting class this early in the game?" he asked, grinning from ear to ear. "I never pegged you as _that_ kind of guy."

"I'm not skipping," he defended himself. "I just don't know where I am supposed to go."

"You can ask someone," he stated. "I bet you're scared."

"Scared!?" Derek repeated. "Of what?"

"Of…high school in general. After all, you are at Catherine Prep." It was true, any normal kid would be terrified of going to a school like Catherine Prep, but Derek was not a normal kid, and this was definitely no normal situation.

"Why aren't you in class then?" he asked, feeling slightly offended by this very tall Mark person.

"Because…I'm _that_ guy." He winked. "I'm just here for the hot preppy babes."

Derek couldn't help but laugh at this one. Whoever came to a school for "babes" was seriously in need of some help. "I haven't seen any."

"Oh I have," Mark insisted. "There is this blonde who is totally gorgeous and totally into me!"

"Meredith?" Derek inquired, moving closer to Mark.

"You know her?"

"Uh, not really…she introduced herself, but no, not really."

"Ah man! You are so lucky!" Mark whined, throwing his back pack across the hall. "I would kill to have her come up to me."

"Well…maybe I could help with that," Derek suggested. Mark seemed like a friend, and Derek was in some desperate need for friends.

"Really?!" Mark lit up.

"Sure," he shrugged, looking anxiously around the hallway. He had never cut class before, never…if he caught got, oh man…

"Sweet! Thanks dude," Mark relished, feeling powerful and dignified.

"No problem."

Yet, in the back of his mind, something was telling him this was stupid. Setting a girl up on a date with a guy he barely knew. Plus, he liked this girl, she seemed sweet. What if this 'Mark' was a scam artist, or an axe murderer! It was completely stupid, but he needed a friend. _It's okay_ he thought to himself _Maybe by doing this I can become friends with Meredith too._

….boy was he in for the ride of his life.


	3. Friends&enemies

A/N: SORRY

**A/N: SORRY! I just re-read this and was kicking myself for not updating sooner! I have big plans for this story so I hope some readers are still with me…**

Finally, it was lunchtime and Derek had never been so happy. The aroma of burnt pizza and greasy chicken fingers filled his nostrils as he traveled down the many tables taking a seat right next to Alex Karev, the congressmen's son.

"Hey dude," Alex smiled, taking a bite of his caviar. "Want some?" he asked; his mouth full.

"I think I'll pass…" Derek replied, pinching my nose and pushing the disgusting food away from him.

"How's your first day been?" Izzie Stevens chimed in. Derek looked up, taken completely aback at the question. After all, Izzie and Derek were arch enemies-actually- their father's were. Her father was the democratic senator, always trying to one-up his dad. And in the world of politics, you're standing as a republican or a democrat set you apart from each other.

"Uhm good…" he hesitated, actually relieved when Cristina plopped down next to him.

"Shut up Barbie," Cristina hissed, trying purposely to piss her off.

"GOD does it _always_ have to be a _competition _Cristina?! Our fathers are running against each other, not _us_!" Izzie yelled, her perfectly waxed eye brows furrowing against her smooth skin.

Derek tilted his head. If their fathers weren't total rivals, he might have actually considered going out with her. After all, she _was_ gorgeous.

"_Whatever_," Cristina spat, biting into her low fat, low calorie sandwich.

"Excuse me, is this seat taken?" Mark smiled, plopping down right next to Izzie. "Hey gorgeous."

Izzie's mouth dropped in astonishment. "Of course not," she flirted, batting her long eye lashes.

"This is Mark," Derek introduced him; "I met him earlier today."

"Oh," Izzie blushed. She was seriously on the verge of drooling.

"How about that girl, Shep?" Mark inquired, turning away from Izzie and looking up at a baffled Derek. "Hooked me up with her yet?"

"Uhm, not yet."

Izzie giggled, assuming the girl was her. "Oh you could just ask…_Mark_."

Mark let out a suppressed laugh, switching his weight towards Cristina. "Hey beautiful." He grinned, pursing his lips.

"Talk to me again and I'll tare the eyes out of your sockets," she angrily replied, biting into her apple.

"Okay then…" Mark trailed off, looking at Derek for help.

"What are you doing here?" he asked right back. After all, he just met Mark. What gave him the right to eat lunch with _his_ friends?

Mark shrugged. "I don't know I thought we were buds."

"I just met you," he said bluntly, his eyes landing on that skinny girl. She was watching the other tables, a sad expression on her already depressed-looking face. "Hey!" Derek yelled, waving his arm. She seemed lonely. He figured he'd help. "Over here!"

Meredith smiled, waving her thin arms back. "Hey!" she smiled, walking up to the table. "Can I sit here?"

Cristina rolled her eyes, Alex snorted, Izzie tried to suppress her giggles, Mark gawked, and Derek nodded, being the only civil one at the table. "Pop a squat."

"Excuse me?" she questioned, her face etched in confusion. "Pop a what? I don't do drugs…"

Cristina's eyes widened as she began to laugh hysterically. Izzie soon joined in, accompanied by Alex, and soon, Mark was even included in the fit of hysterics.

Her eyes immediately filled up as she dropped her lunch tray and ran out of the cafeteria, crying the entire time.

"WILL YOU ALL SHUT UP?!" Derek shouted, standing up from the table. "She feels intimidated! Try and act nice!"

"Never knew you had the hots for _those_ types of girls," Alex murmured, sucking hard on his juice box.

"What's so different about _her_?!" Derek threw back at him. He was angry now. Why were his friends such complete asses?

"Dude chill…" Alex tried. "It's just a girl."

"…a girl who thinks the expression 'pop a squat' is a drug!" Cristina cracked up again, sending the entire cafeteria into complete laughter.

Derek couldn't take it; he quickly got away from the table, away from his so called friends, and began to chase the girl who had been completely humiliated.

"Meredith?" he called as he reached The Quad. It was a hot, sunny day, a beautiful day. He looked out at the landscape and sighed. He really did go to a rich school. Suddenly, he heard whimpering behind the statue of George Washington. He hurriedly ran up to her.

"Sorry about them," he began, looking back at the cafeteria. "They're assholes."

"Just…leave…me…alone!" she managed, her sobs heaving against her shortness of breath.

"Don't worry about them," Derek comforted, wrapping a reassuring arm around her. "They're immature."

"I hate this school!" she yelled, her voice echoing through the grand halls. Wiping her nose on her sleeve she tried to pull herself together. "Sorry," she mumbled.

"I know what you mean," Derek breathed, taking a seat next to her. "If you're not rich you don't fit in."

"Exactly," she agreed, twirling a wet napkin around her fingers. "It's not fair…" She brought the napkin up to her nose and blew hard. "I'm not this _posh_."

Derek couldn't help but grin at this comment. "Neither are we…well, our fathers but that's about it."

"My mom forced me to go here," Meredith confessed, looking down at her lap. "I wanted to go to the public school but when I got the scholarship…I couldn't say no."

"I can see that," Derek nodded, the fresh air dancing around him. "But it's only the first day. Things will get better."

She looked over to him, her green eyes meeting his deep blue ones. "Promise?" she sniffled, holding out her pinky.

"Promise," he stated, grabbing her pinky and shaking hard.

2:45, time to go home. Cristina slowly walked up to Derek, tapping him lightly on the shoulder. He refused to turn around.

"Are you serious?! Come on, Derek, we're _sorry_! What more do you want?!"

"Right," he shook his head, watching as the limo pulled up along the driveway…great.

"You can't seriously like that skinny, weirdo freak can you?" she asked, her face twisted in disgust. "She's, like, _normal_."

"See you tomorrow," he ignored, hopping into the limo and slamming the door hard. Luckily for him, the tinted windows blocked the look on Cristina's face.

"How was school Mr. Shepherd?" Lewis asked, his British accent overpowering his voice. "Any buff girls? Or, as you Americans say, hot?"

"No, Lewis," he answered, biting his tongue as they rode past Meredith.

"I'm home!" he yelled, throwing his back pack across the room. "Mom? Dad?"

"They're at a meeting," Laura smiled, walking down their spiral staircase. Her large heels clicked against the marble floor, the flowery scent of her cheap perfume surrounding them. "They said they were sorry that they couldn't be home when you got home from your first day of high school."

"Yeah I bet they were devastated," Derek rolled his eyes, plopping on the couch. "What's for dinner?"

"Well they will be out all night for conferences and such so we can eat anything we want," she grinned, sitting down next to him.

"_All night_?!" He asked; his blue eyes wide. He hated when his parents left, yet he should've been used to it by then. "They're never home!" he whined, "It's always a conference or a meeting, or a speech or a campaign thing!"

"Well your father wants to be a president! That's a lot of work!" Laura defended, flattening Derek's over-gelled hair. "Good lord Derek! How much gel did you put in that head of hair?"

"A lot," he shrugged, turning on the TV to a new episode of Family Guy. "Bye Laura."

Laura pouted her lips. "You're mean! You're kicking me out!"

Derek smiled. Laura did always find a way to cheer you up. "Can I have some advice…"

"Sure, anything."

"Uhm okay, well…" Derek trailed off, not sure how to put this. "There's this girl-"

"OH MY GOD!" she squealed; completely cutting him off. "AH! TELL ME MORE!"

He placed his hands over his ears, her shrill cries of happiness almost unbearable. "Geez! Cut down the screeching!"

"Sorry," she giggled, hugging a pillow. "Okay, tell me."

"Alright so she's normal, too normal, and all of my friends think she's a freak. The only reason she's at the prep is because she got in on a scholarship. She's nice, sweet…but no one likes her. So I stood up for her at lunch, and I don't know why. I mean I met her at orientation and I had no intentions of being friends with her. So I don't know…"

"Well," Laura cleared her throat, "Sounds to me like you may have a crush."

"Me? A crush? I don't think so…" He barely knew her! There was no way he could _like _her.

"Yes, you…a crush!" Laura laughed. "What's her name?"

"Meredith," he smiled, the name slipping off his tongue. It sounded no natural, so, so…._normal_.

Laura grinned, recognizing the smile on his face. "Derek, as your friend and grooming consultant, the first thing I'm going to tell you is to let _me_ gel your hair." She brushed her fingers through his hair, the speckles of gel falling off onto the couch. He laughed, pushing her hand away. "All kidding aside," she continued, "You need to talk to her…even if your friends don't like her."

Derek groaned, knowing how right she was. He had to talk to her. Maybe that would sort his feelings out better. "Well what if I _do _like her?"

Laura gave a small smile. "Well then you would have a few angry friends!"

11:00, the house was silent. He saw the flashing lights pull into his driveway, the familiar crackling sounds of rocks being crushed under the pressure of the tires. He dried his eyes and ran up to the window, pulling the curtain aside. He saw his father step out, pressing his tie again, staring wondrously up at the house. His mother soon followed, her tight white dress hugging her curvy, in shape hips. He slowly opened the window, the wind whipping at his hair.

"THAT SENETOR STEVNES IS GOING TO BE THE DEATH OF ME!" he heard his father yell. "His policies aren't even morally correct!"

"JUST calm down, Brian!" his mother exclaimed, placing a hand on her husband's back. "Don't let your blood pressure peak up!"

"UGH!" his dad moaned, storming into the house. Pushing the window back in it's place, Derek scrambled to his bed, pulling the covers on just in time.

"Look at Derek," his mother sighed, peeking through the slightly ajar door. "I wonder how his first day went."

"Probably better than mine," his father mumbled angrily, ripping off his tie.

"Brian! Will you for _once_ stop thinking about yourself?! This is Derek we're talking about!"

His father gave up, his head dropping onto the wall. "We'll ask him about it tomorrow…"

"Alright," Sarah breathed, blowing a kiss at her son before completely closing the door.

As soon as he heard the door shut, Derek's eyes shot open. He grabbed his cell phone and quickly wrote in his reminders: talk to Meredith. Shutting the phone, he allowed his head to rest on the fluffy pillow. He soon began to drift off into a deep sleep, but awoke as soon as the calamitous thunder began to roar voraciously through his house. Jolting out of bed, he ran up to his window to witness the storm. He loved the rain. He loved the sound, the smell, and the way it captivated you in so many ways. During the summer months, he used to stand out in the rain with no coat and no shoes. He allowed it to drip down his skin and float into the air. It was definitely magical. Glancing at the clock, a small gasp escaped him mouth. 12:05. He had to get to sleep. Sighing heavily, he looked across the street, his eye catching onto the small, one floor house that he and his parents had been living next to his entire life. Feelings of guilt overwhelmed him as he began to think of how much he had. He often wondered how people lived like that, all cramped and alone. But as he looked closer, he saw a figure come out of the house. It looked like a girl…dressed in some sort of rain coat. Soon he realized who the figure was…his mouth dropped in shock.

It was Meredith. Meredith Grey was his neighbor.

**A/N: Okay so review please I'm planning on staying with them freshmen year then them journeying up to sophomore, junior, and finally senior year. Please PLEASE review and tell me what you think. I hope I haven't lost any readers due to my laziness **


	4. The Storm

Derek's eyes continued to gawk as Meredith pulled out a flashlight from beneath her coat and wandered up the street.

_Where the hell is she going_ he wondered, quietly slipping into his flip flops. The door creaked as he opened it. He took a deep breath, holding it as he crept down the stairs, one by one. Slowly grabbing his coat from the coat rack he tip-toed to the back door, creaking it open ever so slightly. A light beep echoed through the house, and Derek froze in silence. He heard the springs of his parent's bed creak, and the deafening yawn of his father but no one seemed to have woken. Another thunder clap roared through the house, and Derek seized the opportunity to escape. The wind was hard and rough against his body. He whipped the jacket around him, sliding his arms through the thin holes, realizing that the coat definitely did not fit him anymore. Zippering it up tight, he ran toward the road, producing giant splashes of rich, sticky mud in his tracks.

"Meredith!" he shouted as he saw the tiny body continue up the street. "Meredith!"

He continued running, his feet sliding in and out of his wet sandals. The wind pushed back his hair, despite a few pieces that stuck to his face. It was a deadly storm. The water cascaded down like bullets as the lightening crackled in the sky. His breath quickened as he used all his energy to reach her.

"Meredith!" he yelled one last time, screaming with all his might.

The young girl turned around, her face in astonishment. "Derek? What the hell are you doing here!"

"I should ask you the same question!" he yelled, finally stopping in front of her. "This storm is bad," he panted, glancing around at the limbs of trees flying into the night. "Are you trying to get yourself killed?"

"How did you even know I was here?" Meredith pressed, shining the flashlight deep into Derek's eyes.

"Apparently we're neighbors," Derek began, wiping the droplets of water from his face. "I was watching the storm and I saw you and I wanted to see why the heck you would come out in weather like this?"

The thunder screamed above them. Meredith leaped, falling straight into Derek's arms.

"I got in a fight with my mom," she explained as she untangled herself. "I'm attempting to run away I guess." She looked down embarrassed, clutching the small knapsack that held a few items such as a toothbrush, 50 dollars, and some chewy bars. "I was going to go to my friend's house. She lives in the next town over."

"Why'd you get in a fight with your mom?" Derek questioned, squinting against the heavy rain.

"I told her I wanted to transfer." She said it as if it were obvious. "She screamed at me for no reason, and then there was some other stuff that happened that you don't want to know about…" Her voice trailed off and Derek wondered what that could have possibly been. He began to think that there was definitely more to Meredith than what meets the eye.

"I'm sorry," he shrugged, "But you shouldn't transfer! It was only the first time and things will –"

"I know," Meredith sighed, cutting him off, "You told me that already. It's just…I don't belong there Derek. You know that. You're really the only one that's nice to me."

Derek smiled in spite of himself. "Well you're a nice girl Meredith," he began, noticing how cute of a smile she had.

Suddenly, the ground rattled as the storm reached its peak. The trees swayed back and fourth, their limbs about to bend and break at a snap of an instance. The wind picked up greatly, pushing the pair as if taunting them. Meredith slipped on the slippery tarp, clutching onto Derek to prevent her fall. However, the attempt failed as Derek shortly fell on top of her. A rather large tree limb quickly gave way to the passing storm and went flying at the couple. In one instance, the base of the limb whacked Derek directly in the head, and just like that, he was out cold.

"Derek, Derek!" Meredith shouted, struggling to get out from under him. "Wake up!" she pressed, noticing a dribble of blood dripping down the side of his head. She slapped his face a few times, hoping the motion would wake him up. "Please wake up!" she cried, beginning to panic. "Derek!"

3 minutes passed. She tried shaking him, moving him, screaming his name, and nothing worked. "Oh God," she pressed, rummaging around her knapsack for a cell phone. Tears stung her face, mixing heavily with the rain.

"Where is it?" she shouted to herself, her voice barely audible against the intensity of the storm.

Suddenly, Derek's eyes shot open, immediately catching Meredith's attention.

"Derek!" she began, picking his head up. "Derek, are you okay?"

His blue eyes blinked as bright flashes of life zoomed past him. He felt dizzy, cold, scared, and had a terrible headache. When his vision finally centered, he looked up at Meredith.

"I..." He tried talking, but a pain drummed within his ears, and the rain slammed against his open wound.

"It's okay!" Meredith comforted, smoothing out his hair. "A tree branch hit you. But it's going to be okay! We're not too far from our houses. Come on, you have to try and walk back with me, okay?" She helped him up, allowing his limp body to lean on hers. "Yeah that's it," she continued, balancing the weight. "Now move one foot in front of the other…yeah...there you go! Everything is going to be alright. Keep leaning on me."

Derek did what he was told, his thoughts all scrambled. Where was he? Why was he soaking wet? What was happening?

"You are doing great!" Meredith cooed, supporting his rather heavy body. "Just a few more steps, we'll be there in no time!"

_One foot in front of the other. Step, step, step_…finally, after seeming like an eternity, the pair reached Meredith's house. She laid his body underneath the canopy, rushing to retrieve towels, band-aids, and ice packs from inside the house. Derek glanced around him. He saw a spider crawling up his foot, but he was too weak to remove it. The leaves raced by him, and icy shivers began to crawl up his spine. He shuttered, his arms shaking, as he began to slip in and out of consciousness.

The porch door creaked as Meredith and her mom raced toward Derek's aid.

"Help me get him inside Meredith," her mother instructed, picking Derek up by the shoulders. Meredith grabbed a hold of his legs and the twosome entered the man-shackled house. They gently placed him on the couch, her mother instantly removing his wet clothes. "Go into the cubby and get sweatpants, a sweatshirt, and blankets." Meredith did as she was told. When she returned, Derek was almost completely naked, his wet clothes resting on the hard wooden floor. "Here mom," Meredith spoke up, throwing the clothes at her mother before racing into the next room to cry.

Ms. Grey watched her daughter, tears in her eyes. This boy was someone's son, and he was suffering now because of her own daughter's selfish actions. "Meredith Grey you better get your butt out here and help me!" she warned, wrapping a blanket tightly around Derek's body.

Meredith quickly wiped the tears from her eyes, and helped her mother tend Derek's wound. Soon, the bloody cut was cleaned and bandaged, the swelling slowly disintegrating. Derek finally awoke, asking for an aspirin and a cool glass of water. Meredith quickly snatched the two items, sitting close to Derek's side.

"Where are your parents, sweetie?" Ms. Grey asked; her voice warm and tender.

"Uh," Derek began, rubbing his aching head. "They're probably sleeping. We live next door."

Mrs. Grey nodded, placing a reassuring hand on Derek's knee. "You are welcome to stay here until the storm passes. What is their number? I will call them and tell them about the situation if that is okay?"

"Yeah, sure," Derek agreed, glancing in Meredith's direction, whom only stared at the floor. "It's 905-3467."

"Okay, I'm going to make the call. I'll be right back."

Ms. Grey exited the room, leaving the two alone. Meredith looked up for the first time since Derek awoke, and began to pace the room back and fourth.

"Meredith…" Derek began, "I'm okay."

She shook her head, biting hard on her nimble thumb. "You almost died out there," she whispered, facing him. "You almost died because of me." Her voice was fragile, scared, and broken.

"Yeah but I didn't," Derek giggled, trying his very best to look completely fine despite the fact that his body felt like it was going to collapse and his head was throbbing intensely.

Meredith allowed a small smile to creep onto her face before joining Derek on to the couch, inching a little closer than she normally would have. "It's just…weird for me," she finally breathed out, reaching for Derek's hand. "No one has really taken an interest in me like you have."

Derek shrugged, tugging on the loose thread sticking out from one of the pillows. He didn't know what to say because he didn't know how he could tell her how he truly felt without sounding like a complete idiot. He allowed himself to look up for one second, instantly catching onto her deep green eyes. He swallowed hard, outlining her body with his eyes; every inch, every detail he took in. The freckle on her nose, the slightly crooked smile she possessed, the light scar on the top of her forehead, _everything_. He moved closer, tracing the base of her chin with his fingers, his eyes still fixed on hers.

She didn't pull away when he kissed her.

**A/N: Since someone recently reviewed informing me about how lazy I am, I decided to update this lovely story that I have fallen in love with all over again. See! If you review you will get an update!**

**Also if you like this story, check out Serendipity! It's fairly new, but it's one of my favorites so help me out please =)**

**& as always….review! :D xoxo**


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